The present invention relates to separator plates for separating adjacent fuel cells in a stack of such cells. In particular, the invention relates to improved sealing rails for such separator plates.
The aforementioned application discloses a fuel cell separator plate with compressible sealing rails. More specifically, each of the sealing rails comprises a marginal flange of the separator plate folded back on itself and cooperating with the plate to form a channel in which is inserted a stack of thin metal sheets. The thin metal sheets are bonded to one another, the sealing flange and the plate in a laminated structure having the desired thickness. Each of the thin metal sheets, in its as-fabricated condition, has a slight deviation from true flatness so as to afford a degree of compressibility to the stack. This compressibility can be increased by mechanical working of the thin metal sheets. While this arrangement is advantageous in permitting variation of the thickness of the sealing rails to accommodate variations in the thickness of the associated fuel cell components as a result of creep, thermal expansion and the like, it comprises a relatively large number of parts which must be assembled together.